Recent news about the U.S.–Vietnam negotiations suggests the Biden administration is considering the largest-ever arms sale between the two nations since their diplomatic relations were established. This could include the sale of F-16 fighter jets to bolster the upgraded partnership between the two countries. The agreement is anticipated to be finalized in 2024.
Preliminary discussions on the arms agreement commenced during President Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam on Sept. 10. Previously, negotiators held meetings throughout August in Hanoi, New York, and Washington D.C. The specific terms of the agreement have not yet been defined.
Additionally, reports suggest that owing to financial constraints within the Vietnamese government, the United States is contemplating special financing to reduce Vietnam’s reliance on more economical Russian-made weapons.
The United States and Vietnam have not yet officially commented on these reports.
Amid escalating sovereignty disputes with the CCP in the South China Sea, Vietnam urgently requires advanced American weaponry, including F-16 fighter jets, to fortify its maritime defense capabilities.
The majority of Vietnam’s military equipment is sourced from the former Soviet Union and Russia. It is estimated that from 2013 to 2017, Vietnam’s annual military budget surged from $3.8 billion to approximately $4.9 billion, with 80 percent of its weapons being purchased from Russia. Vietnam also depends on Russia for the maintenance of its military equipment.
However, the Ukraine conflict diverted Russia’s weaponry and resources away from Vietnam, making it difficult for the country to acquire additional equipment and spare parts. The conflict also underscored the substantial advantages of NATO military systems worldwide. Therefore, Vietnam considers the acquisition of advanced American weaponry to be a logical move.
In May 2016, the United States announced the complete lifting of its arms sales embargo on Vietnam, marking a pivotal turning point and breakthrough in U.S.–Vietnam relations. Subsequently, the United States gifted two retired “Hamilton” class patrol frigates and over ten “Metal Shark” offshore patrol vessels to Vietnam. Vietnam renumbered the two patrol frigates as CSB8020 and CSB8021 for use by its Coast Guard. Additionally, the United States sold three internationally recognized T-6 turboprop trainer aircraft to Vietnam, along with pilot training and spare parts supply.
Vietnam Fills the Last Puzzle Piece of the US Asia-Pacific Strategy
In response to questions from a Russian TASS reporter during a routine press conference on Sept. 25, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made a reverse assertion, expressing hope that relevant countries would “abandon hegemony and Cold War thinking, cease provocation and stimulate an arms race.”Vietnam Could Become Another US Foothold Outside the Philippines
In February, the Philippines newly opened four military bases for the U.S. military. Currently, the U.S. military can use nine military bases there, including for troop rotation, weapons storage, supply, and other logistical support.Yang Haiping, a prominent overseas Chinese leader in San Francisco who also participated in the Vietnam War, stated in a Sept. 14 NTD “Pinnacle View” program that the United States is now uniting all countries to counter the CCP. Apart from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines, the last piece of the puzzle is Vietnam. It is the most efficient and final piece in the containment of the CCP. Biden’s visit to Vietnam filled the last piece of the Asia-Pacific strategy.
The Vietnam War Was a Conflict Against the CCP
During the Vietnam War, the United States played a significant role, providing support to the South Vietnamese government in their resistance against the communist North.Yang Haiping, a Chinese-American veteran who fought in Vietnam, shed light on the involvement of multiple parties. He told The Epoch Times: “It was expected that Soviet advisors and engineers would participate in the Vietnam War, but as the war escalated, it was discovered that they were fighting alongside the Chinese Communist Army. The senior and mid-level officers of the North Vietnamese Army were all Chinese Communist officers, and their weapons, food, and more were all provided by the CCP. Over 300,000 Chinese Communist troops fought in Vietnam while dressed as North Vietnamese soldiers.”
The CCP set up seventeen aviation schools at the Xiangyun Airport in Yunnan to help Vietnam train high-level pilots. Vietnam’s former Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Chen Xiang, was one of them.
The CCP–Vietnam Relationship
The CCP’s relationship with Vietnam was influenced by various factors, including geopolitical dynamics, economic ties, and ideological interests.During the honeymoon period between the CCP and the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP), the CCP provided whatever the VCP demanded. In 1971 alone, the CCP signed seven free assistance agreements with the VCP, equivalent to about $1.6 billion. From 1971 to 1973, while China–U.S. relations improved and reconciled, the CCP provided the most assistance to the VCP, with assistance agreement amounts reaching approximately $4 billion. In the later time, the adverse effects of the CCP’s Cultural Revolution on the economy became evident, and it was unable to meet the increasing demands of the VCP.
As a result of the CCP’s fallout with the Soviet Communist Party, China–U.S. relations began to connect due to shared interests in opposing the Soviet Union. Former President Richard Nixon visited Beijing on Feb. 21, 1972, marking an improvement in bilateral relations.
In January 1973, the United States and Vietnam’s three governments signed the Paris Peace Accords. Within the following two months, all U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam were withdrawn, leaving only small forces such as embassy guards. In August 1973, all Chinese communist combat troops aiding Vietnam returned home.
In an effort to gain the favor of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP), the Soviet Union began providing substantial and unconditional aid to the VCP, including military supplies, starting in 1971. This aid surpassed what China was offering. The VCP was unhappy with China’s withdrawal of support and viewed the improvement in Sino-American relations as the CCP “betraying the revolution.” As a result, they fully turned toward the Soviet Union.
In 1974, North Vietnam (controlled by the VCP) began its offensive against the South Vietnamese government. The United States abandoned its efforts to assist South Vietnam and instead evacuated the remaining American troops and refugees. In 1975, Vietnam was unified under VCP control.
Mr. Tang asserts that Vietnam’s trajectory toward the West stems from historical and geopolitical considerations. The simmering territorial disputes with the CCP in the South China Sea and the fallout resulting from Vietnam’s opposition to the Khmer Rouge regime played pivotal roles in Vietnam’s diplomatic orientation toward the United States.
As to the future, he anticipates that Vietnam will continue to maintain economic relations with China while fostering closer diplomatic and military ties with the United States.
